"This is a great example of how privately funded university research can translate into benefits for the building construction industry and society, while at the same time providing specialized training for emerging engineers," said Robert Tener, executive director of the Pankow Foundation and a former civil engineering professor at Purdue. "Our foundation is pleased that Purdue civil engineering will be delivering this innovative, highly valuable core wall system for industry adoption in 2012."

The foundation's namesake, Charles J. Pankow, was a Purdue civil engineering alumnus who also received an honorary doctorate from Purdue.

The Bowen Lab is one of a handful of facilities where testing can be performed on large structures instead of smaller-scale specimens, yielding more representative data. The 66,000-square-foot laboratory is equipped with special hydraulic testing equipment and powerful overhead cranes.